How to Fit the Amazing Stress Reducing Benefits of Essential Oils Into Your Daily Routine

My life was extremely stressful in early 2016. So stressful, in fact, that I used my stressful state of mind as an excuse not to try essential oils. The idea of adding one more thing (that thing being research) to my already long to-do list gave me a headache.

I just didn’t have the time. #MomLife

But eventually (and rather unintentionally), I added essentials oils into my life.

And then over a year ago, I intentionally did my research, added more oils into my life, and haven’t looked back.

Which brings me to the topic of today’s post – how to fit essential oils into your already stressful life.

But before I tell you how I accidently starting using oils, let me briefly explain what essential oils are and the benefits of using essential oils as a way to reduce stress (in case you aren’t sure if they are right for you).

Full disclosure: I received free products from Rocky Mountain Oils in exchange for writing this blog post. I’m also an affiliate for them and have included several affiliate links. I’m being upfront about my relationship with them because I don’t want you to think I’m trying to sell you something. My opinions of what they sent me are my own and I would never recommend you something unless I’ve used it first. You can read my affiliate disclosure here.

What are Essential Oils?

“In short, essential oils are concentrated, liquid plant extracts used for aromatic and wellness purposes. They are called “essential” because they contain the essence of a plant. Essential oils come from a variety of plant sources, including flowers, grasses, fruits, roots, trees, and leaves.”

Source: From the Rocky Mountain Oils website

One of the things I didn’t know when first researching essential oils was that the use of essential oils is a treatment known as aromatherapy. Silly, I know. I’d heard the term aromatherapy but never connect the two. I’m sure I’m not the only one. *face palm*

According to this article from WebMd, the goal of aromatherapy is to improve your health and well-being. I find the science pretty fascinating! Experts believe that essential oils activate smell receptors in your nose that in turn send messages to your brain (by traveling through your nervous system).

So, basically, with the right oil blend, you can send signals to your brain in much the same way that certain pharmaceutical drugs send signals to your brain. The only difference is that essential oils are made from plants while an Rx from your doctor is synthetic.

Does that mean aromatherapy can replace that prescription your doctor wrote you? No, it can’t. Essentials oils are not a cure-all and do not replace traditional medical treatments. Rather, aromatherapy is meant to compliment your existing treatment plan.

But be careful. You have to find a trustworthy source. There are many oils on the market that are fakes. One way to tell, just by looking at the label, is if the oil has it’s Latin name listed on the bottle. If it just says Lavender, Tea Tree, or Eucalyptus, for example, and doesn’t list the Latin name, it isn’t a genuine oil.

How to Use Essential Oils

Fractionated Coconut Oil

When I was first researching the use of essential oils to manage stress, I learned was that there are two ways to use them: either diffused into the air using a diffuser or applied topically to the skin.

If applying topically, essential oils must be diluted with a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil. The ratio of carrier oil to essential oil depends on the oil and who will be using it.

Essential Oils on the Brain

Regardless of the method you use (topically or diffused), you’re going to smell the oils. It’s unavoidable. (But don’t worry, they smell good! Well, at least I think so.)

As I explained earlier, smelling the aroma given off by essential oils sends signals to your brain. More specifically, you’re sending signals to your limbic system.

Your limbic system is beneath the cerebral cortex. Simply put, it’s an area of the brain responsible for your emotions, memories, and other things.

Now that explains the connection between essential oils and stress!

As I understand stress, it’s both a physical and emotional state. Put under too much stress, the mind and body breakdown. Hence, it’s vital to manage stress by cutting out unnecessary stress and practicing self-care to nurture your mind (aka give your mind a rest). Essential oils help your mind to literally relax by tapping into the part of the brain responsible for emotions!

4 Ways to Add Essential Oils to Your Life

For me, starting with essential oils was intimidating. First, there’s the fact that there are SO many types of oils and blends (not to mention just as many companies selling them). Also, it just seemed complicated and time consuming – at least to my then super stressed out mind.

So, I did what many people do when faced with too many choices – nothing.

I froze.

Instead of charging into the unknown during a time when I was already overwhelmed by so much, I accidentally added essential oils into my life in other ways.

Maybe you’ve already done the same.

Here are four ways that you can easily squeeze essential oils into your life like I accidentally did.

1. Swap out your personal care products.

In the summer of 2017, I read about something called parabens and the connection between them and my hormones. Convinced that parabens could have been playing a factor in my follicular cysts, one of the very first things I did was eliminate all parabens from my face wash, shampoo, and body wash. In doing so, I inadvertently added essential oils into my life because many natural soaps have essential oils in them. Win-win, right?

2. Test some essential oil cleaners

Still trying to correct an imbalance, I took things one step further by setting out to eliminate all household chemicals. That’s when I found Mrs. Meyers on the shelf in Target. (Okay, so there wasn’t a woman named Mrs. Meyers sitting on the shelf in Target – in case that’s how you read that.)

If you aren’t familiar, Mrs. Meyers uses essential oils in all their products. I’ve tried most of their line, but my favorite switch has been to their basil or rosemary dish soap. By doing so, I turned standing at the kitchen sink into a mini mental retreat.

3. Add a few drops to your bath water.

Eventually, a friend recommended Rocky Mountain Oils as a source she trusted to buy her essential oils. Packaged in little dark colored glass bottles, one of the first oils I bought to calm myself after a stressful day was lavender oil. I would add a few drops to my Epsom salt bath when I was pregnant. The bathroom would smell like lavender for hours! And I would come away feeling relaxed. You can read more about the health benefits of lavender oil here.

4. Save time with roll onessential oils

Roll-on essential oils are either a blend of different oils or a single oil and Rocky Mountain Oils make them in 10 ml tubes that resemble the size of a tube of lipstick or lipgloss. They are meant to be used topically and are already diluted. All you do is grab the tube, unscrew the top, and touch the ball to your skin and roll. Depending on what you’re using the oil for, you’ll usually roll it on your wrist, neck, the bottom of your feet, or inside your elbows (pulse points).

“The day she let go of the things that were weighing her down, was the day she began to shine the brightest.” —Katrina Mayer

Review: Limited Blends You Should Fit into Your Daily Life

Okay, now that you’ve gotten the run down of what aromatherapy is, how essential oils work, and ways you can incorporate oils into your daily routine, I want to let you know about three limited edition oils from Rocky Mountain Oils you should considering adding into your daily grind.

Like I mentioned in the beginning, as an affiliate, I received these three oils from Rocky Mountain Oils for free and was asked to share my thoughts with my readers.

I didn’t know what oils I would receive, so I was super excited that the ones I did receive are ones that align with my mission of helping you reduce stress, anxiety and overwhelm.

Since sacred frankincense is a rare oil, the concentrated bottled version is pricey. Released on January 17, 2019 this roll-on version (shown above) makes it more affordable (and, hello, way easy to apply).

How does Sacred Frankincense work?

Sacred Frankincense “enhances deep meditation, working to balance emotions and lessening feelings of loneliness, frailty, and grief. Use the oil to help combat stressors.”

Source: From the Rocky Mountain Oils website

The benefits of Sacred Frankincense include:

Calms and balances the mood

Deepen meditation

Support greater immune health

See why I was excited to have received this oil?

My thoughts on Sacred Frankincense

It has a woody aroma that reminds me of my husband’s cedar scented soap except sacred frankincense smells lighter and doesn’t scream “man.” Score because I can walk around wearing it without feeling like a dude.

The day that I received my box was the day after spending the weekend feeling like poop so I immediately ripped off my socks and applied this to the bottom of my feet to give my immune system a boost. I also did it the following day. No way to know if it boosted my immune system, but I didn’t relapse. So, works for me.

The metal ball of this roll-on feels cool on my skin. I’ve used it several times since getting it, mostly because it’s just so easy to use. (Pst…my mom calls me the “convenience queen” because of my ability to seek out things that make my life easier. #Truth)

But quantities are limited so if you want one for yourself, you’ve got to get it before they sell out. Remember, sacred frankincense is like the Cadillac of frankincense so this affordable blend will probably sell out quick.

How does Concentrate work?

I tested this on my twelve and eight-year-old by diluting 3 drops with 1/2 tsp of fractionated coconut oil and applied it to their pulse points. I made the mistake of applying it on too many areas and they complained a little about the scent being too strong. They commented about needing to use less next time. I agreed.

I noticed that my eight-year-old seemed calmer, less bouncy, in the hours after I applied the oil. Sometimes I wonder if she has attention deficit disorder even though she’s never been diagnosed. Her room is typically a disaster, she can never find anything and has to be reminded of tasks. I haven’t heard any complaints from her school teachers so the verdict is still out.

My thoughts on Concentrate

I will continue to use this for my daughter because when she’s focused, she doesn’t stress me out. Win, win.

When I started working on balancing my chakras at the end of 2016, my world transformed. So to get the chance to try this third eye blend makes me the most excited.

Unfortunately, because of some of the oils in this blend, I cannot try it until after I’ve finished breastfeeding.

But, because it is only available for a limited time (and 30% off during the time of this post), I wanted to let ya’ll know about it and give you the opportunity to get yourself a bottle.

How does Third Eye Chakra work?

“When your third eye chakra is balanced, you can have a greater ability to self-reflect.”

Source: From the Rocky Mountain Oils website

A blend of ylang ylang complete, lavender, clary sage, pine, and frankincense serrata, Third Eye Chakra is supposed to help you balance your seventh chakra – your third eye.

My thoughts on Third Eye Chakra

Because anxiety is one of the emotional signs that your third eye chakra is blocked, I’m recommending this blend to anyone who feels anxious. Diffuse it while you meditate or apply some to the area between your eyebrows. Be sure to dilute it with a carrier oil or you can pick up their roll-on version instead.

For me, anxiety and stress are one and the same. If I’m feeling anxious about something, I’m likely over analyzing the situation, thinking of all the possible scenarios – good and bad. It leads to headaches, chest pain and then an anxiety attack.

My third eye was one of the first chakras I aimed to restore in 2016 and I would have loved to have had this blend back then. Since I can’t tell you if this blend works, I can say that I’ve already mixed up a diluted blend and it smells light, earthy and sweet. When I’m done breastfeeding, I plan to use it whenever I feel anxious and whenever I meditate.

This would pair well with an amethyst stone (as pictured above) or a bracelet as amethyst is the healing stone associated with the third eye chakra. (Fun fact: The first healing stone I bought was an amethyst and chevron bracelet that I wore everywhere.)

If you’d like to learn more about your third eye chakra, I found this blog post to be very informative. And you’d like to try this blend, it’s only available for a limited time.

As my disclaimer states, this was for information and education purposes only and you should consult a healthcare professional for treatment of medical conditions.

Have any questions?

Phew, this was a long post and it took me quite a bit of time to write so I hope that you enjoyed reading it! If you have any questions, leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram and I’ll be happy to answer or at least point you in the right direction.

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